The Academic Commons is home to digital materials related to the academic life, history, and mission of Willamette University. The Commons enhances the impact of faculty research and university publications by offering a reliable and permanent way for this material to be found, accessed, and cited.

Formally recognized academic units of the University, such as departments, centers, institutes, and programs, are encouraged to establish Academic Commons collections.

For more information about how this service might benefit you, see the Uncommon Benefits of Contributing

Two Collection Types

The Academic Commons supports two collection types:

• University Collections are actively curated by the library, archives, and museum, sometimes in collaboration with other members of the Willamette faculty and staff. These collections are of broad institutional interest and require complex collection management techniques.
• Community Collections are maintained by departments and individuals within the Willamette community. Although University policies apply to these collections, they are built primarily around the needs and resources of each department.

Examples of content that may become part of the Academic Commons include:

1. Faculty research publications
2. Student research
3. Non-published research materials, such as images, datasets, maps, and GIS files.
4. Journals, reports, newsletters, and other University publications of academic interest
5. Documents, images and media files related to the history of the University
6. Digital recordings of lectures or performances

See the Academic Commons Collection Policy for more information.

Other Highlights

Content within the Academic Commons can be accessed through other Willamette University websites and services. Material stored in the Academic Commons will be actively preserved for use by future generations (see the Academic Commons Preservation Policy for more information).

Copyright ownership is typically retained by the author or creator. The copyright owner must grant to the University a non-exclusive right to distribute and preserve material submitted to the Academic Commons. For more information, see the Academic Commons Copyright Policy.

What the Academic Commons is not

Please note that the Academic Commons is designed for materials of general academic or historical interest that require long-term access and preservation. It cannot be used to manage or distribute digital files for short term personal research, classroom use, or group projects. For help with these needs, see Classroom and Personal Scholarly Collections.

More Information

For more information about the Academic Commons or to inquire about creating an Academic Commons collection for your department or project, contact the Academic Commons Coordinator.